Chiropractic Care for Children
Parents and pediatricians don’t often consider chiropractic care or other manual therapies for infants and children, usually because they are concerned about safety and are simply unfamiliar with it. Most people associate chiropractors with back pain and can’t imagine why normal healthy kids would need care that is generally associated with traumatic injuries and advancing age. It’s a controversial topic and one that I shy away from debating, even though I see plenty of babies and children who benefit from care in my practice. My thoughts about participating in this debate changed last weekend after attending an enlightening lecture given by Dr. Elise Hewitt, past President of the American Chiropractic Association Pediatrics Council and a practicing pediatric chiropractor. The information she presented reminded me that it’s always possible to have a reasonable conversation, even about hotly debated subjects.
Children Benefit From Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors use manual therapies, including manipulation, massage and craniosacral therapies, to restore motion and proper biomechanics to the joints and muscles. They are also well-qualified to offer advice regarding nutrition and herbal remedies. Chiropractors have expertise in helping children cope with basic physical issues, such as postural problems related to sitting in class all day and carrying heavy backpacks, or frequent headaches that aren’t related to disease. Chiropractors may also be able to help clear up clogged tear ducts in infants with specific massage around the eye – an easy approach which can be taught to the parent and repeated at home.
For certain seemingly non-physical conditions, such as colic, frequent ear infections and suboptimal breastfeeding, therapies offered by chiropractors are ideal for addressing a child’s non-emergent symptoms. A 2009 study followed 114 infant cases of hospital-diagnosed or lactation consultant diagnosed feeding problems that were treated with chiropractic therapy in addition to routine care, and found that 78% were able to exclusively breast feed after 2 to 5 treatments within a 2-week time period. A 2003 survey of parents of 117 post-colicky toddlers in a chiropractic treatment group and 111 toddlers in the non-treatment group noted that parents of infants treated with chiropractic care for excessive crying did not report as many difficult behavioral and sleep patterns in their toddlers as did parents in the non-treatment group. In 2003, Mills, et al, looked at osteopathic manipulation as adjuvant care for recurrent acute otitis media (middle ear infections). They found that kids treated with manipulation had fewer episodes, fewer surgical procedures and increased frequency of normal tympanogram. No adverse events were reported in this study, and the authors concluded that manipulative therapies “may prevent or decrease surgical intervention or antibiotic overuse.”
Chiropractic Complements Regular Medical Care
It is important to note that chiropractic does not replace regular medical care. Rather, it serves as a useful complement in a cooperative multidisciplinary approach. Every family should have a pediatrician who knows their child’s health history and can be called on in case of illness or injury. When a child has been treated medically and the condition is no longer acute, or when there is no available medical treatment for the condition, chiropractic provides a safe alternative that may relieve symptoms of non-life-threatening conditions. Chiropractic is the most popular form of practitioner-based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for children, according to a 2009 study.
Chiropractic is Safe
Reports of serious adverse events following chiropractic therapies are rare. Minor complaints, including muscle and joint soreness and dizziness are more common and also short-lived. A 2007 UK study evaluated 19,722 patients (50,276 neck adjustments) for adverse events following chiropractic treatments and found none serious reported. For children, manual techniques are adapted to ensure that their small and flexible bodies are treated as gently as possible. A 3-year retrospective study of 697 children receiving a total of 5242 chiropractic treatments found 7 reports of adverse effects and no serious complications – with serious complications defined as reactions lasting more than 24 hours or requiring hospital care.
Some Case Examples
A school-aged child presented following six months of significant fluid in the middle ear and conductive hearing loss that was diagnosed by an audiologist. The child had a history of recurrent middle ear infections as a child and ear tube surgery at age 5. She was scheduled to have a second ear tube surgery in the next month if the fluid did not drain from her ears. Her EENT had prescribed decongestant and steroid medications to decrease inflammation and promote drainage, and her parents were interested in finding out if chiropractic treatments might help to promote drainage as well. The child was treated during a single visit with chiropractic manipulative therapy to the neck and mid-back, as well as massage over the lymphatic vessels of the neck. One week later, I heard from the mother – the child had followed-up with her EENT who found no signs of fluid in the ear and was able to cancel the surgery. On follow-up audiologist testing, the child’s hearing had returned to normal.
An infant presented with a three week history of a clogged tear duct that was diagnosed by her pediatrician. She had mucous in the eye and signs of irritation in and around it. Her 4-year-old sister had suffered from the same condition as an infant, and continued to have mucous in the eye upon waking in the morning and whenever she had nasal or sinus congestion. The mother was aware that a minor surgical procedure could open up the duct, but was hoping to avoid it, as general anesthesia would be required. Both the infant and big sister were treated with massage around the affected eye and sinuses, as well as chiropractic manipulative therapy to the neck and lymphatic massage. The mother was shown how to perform the eye and sinus massage at home and instructed to do it daily. At a follow-up appointment one week later, the infant had no mucous in her eye. The older sister was clear of mucous in her eye after approximately one month of daily massage and three chiropractic treatments over that time period. I remember the details of this story well because these girls were my daughters and I was yet to become a chiropractor. I’m sure the doctor who treated them and inspired me would be happy to know, at ages 6 and 10, both girls’ eyes have remained clear, without surgery, even when they’ve had seasonal allergies or upper respiratory infections.
Final Considerations
Chiropractic care can be a safe and gentle approach for managing certain conditions in children. For parents who are open to to alternative therapies, chiropractic is worth a try. You might find that manipulative therapies work great for your child, and that he or she really enjoys the treatment – an added bonus. When looking for a chiropractor for your child, simply use the same scrutiny you would when choosing any health care provider. Make sure that the chiropractor regularly sees plenty of children in his or her practice, and that both you and your child are comfortable with him or her.
Miller JE, Phillips, HL; Long term effects of infant colic: a survey comparison of chiropractic treatment and non-treatment groups; J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Oct;32(8):635-8.
Miller JE, et al; Contribution of chiropractic therapy to resolving suboptimal breastfeeding; J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Oct;32(8):670-4.
Mills MV, et al; The use of osteopathic manipulative treatment as adjuvant therapy in children with recurrent acute otitis media; Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003 Sep;157(9):861-6.
Miller JE, Benfield K; Adverse effects of spinal manipulative therapy in children younger than 3 years: a retrospective study in a chiropractic teaching clinic; J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2008 Jul-Aug;31(6):419-23.
Thiel HW, et al; Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey; Spine. 2007 Oct;32(21):2375-2378; discussion 2379.
Alcantara J, et al; The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic; Explore (NY). 2009 Sep-Oct;5(5):290-5.
